Why is Forgotten Realms the first setting?

[mhacdebhandia]

I suspect it's because the FR brand sells consistently better than all other D&D settings.

. . . and, more to the point, Forgotten Realms novels and other licensed products such as computer games sell like crazy.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Because of the Forgotten Realms' inherent amnesiac nature, people will forget that they already own dozens of books on it and will buy a new one.

 

[Betote]

The more difficult insertion will be in to Greyhawk assuming it continues to exist as a setting at all.

Tieflings could easily find a place in the Empire of Iuz because of its once high demon population. Dragonborn are a little trickier, but I prefer having things in a core book that I won't use to not having things I'd like/need to use. I'm, therefore, more concerned about the lack of gnomes/bards/druids/monks than about the 'excess' of dragonborn/warlocks/warlords.

It's always easier to forbid than to create.

 

[jdrakeh]

. . . and, more to the point, Forgotten Realms novels and other licensed products such as computer games sell like crazy.

Exactly. FR has a massive fan base, most of whom will religliously consume anything with the FR label on it, despite claims to the contrary. Look at 3x FR. The third edition of FR was rallied against by the majority of internet FR fans for its departure from 2e FR. . . yet today it is still the best-selling and most recognized D&D imprint.

 

[Atlatl Jones]

This is the most worriesome. If I were in charge of 4e, I'd want to showcase how adaptable the 4e rule set is by showing standard 'classic' fantasy such as FR and GH without smashing them into the new mold, as well as showcasing the new rules, ideas, mythology, etc.... in it's own setting.

Based on what the designers have said, the main goal of the FR revamp was to make the setting more accessible, and more fun to play in. Some of that includes the points of light concept, and the new, more gameable cosmology. While they were at it, they make the new rules and race/class options fit too.

I would have been fine if they had left the Realms the same and just handwaved the edition changes. But after some initial skepticism, I like that they're making big changes in the setting, since they're targeting many of the things I always found troubling about it.

 

[GameOgre]

I'm happy they did! My old game was set in Greyhawk and we made long trips over the the realms for years. It was a great setting and very well done. Greenwood and the rest of the guys did a awsome job so much so that eventually we moved over full time to the realms.

I can't wait for 4E and the new update for the Realms. I just wish it wasnt so darn far away.

 

[Remathilis]

I thought it was because Living Forgotten Realms is replacing Living Greyhawk and they want the campaign stuff out ASAP...

 

[Arkhandus]

Yep, that's certainly part of it too, I'm sure. Kicking out Living Greyhawk for Living Forgotten Realms. And Eberron will probably be the next setting done for 4E (the PHB 2 will, I'd expect, include Warforged and other Eberron races along with presenting the Psi power source, since Kalashtar and Inspired/Quori are a moderately significant piece of Eberron).

Also, it's obvious that the Core Rulebooks and such will ALREADY have a new campaign setting worked into them as part of the core 4E flavor. That's why they're not doing a separate campaign setting for it to start with, they've already got it roughly covered in the Core Rulebooks, and will probably just leave it rather vague until further splatbooks add more to it. In the same way that 3E products occasionally had bits of Greyhawk-related material.

 

[JoeGKushner]

I thought it was because Living Forgotten Realms is replacing Living Greyhawk and they want the campaign stuff out ASAP...

That's an interesting point.

But there was no Greyhawk support the last several years and we still had Living Greyhawk right?

 

[KingCrab]

Developing a new setting is a risky, time-consuming business.

Drastically changing an existing setting that many fans are really attached to is really risky business. They could have really counted on fans to keep supporting the realms by buying the books. If they piss off all the existing ones, they lose opporunities to make a lot of money.